Don’t let the holidays put a break to learning

By: Linda Chuvala, Education.Today Team Member

The holidays can be a trying time for parents and teachers. Kids are excited about vacation and the many different celebrations winter brings. Parents, and teachers, have to step up their game to keep kids entertained. Furthermore, when kids get out of the routine of school, coming back can be challenging. Instead of cutting of education during the break, try including “fun” education to help calm kids’ excitement while directing their energy towards something productive.

In keeping with the season of giving and our October show (Making a Difference) there are many charitable activities that can be educational as well as fun. Educate.Today has many programs focused on character education and making a difference.

Whether at home or at school, there are many short video segments about giving back to the community. HEC magazine’s October article also provides insight on things you can do in the St. Louis area. Some other ideas include writing letters to veterans overseas, get well cards for kids who will be in the hospital over the holiday time, holiday baskets for underprivileged kids and home-bound seniors.

Families can get in on the action by working at a soup kitchen, volunteering or donating to a food pantry, and cooking and delivering meals to the homebound. There are many ideas in our video library, so take some time and find what your kids or students might enjoy watching. They may come up with their own ideas for being charitable this season.

Another way to pass the time is bringing history to life with stage acting. Kids love putting on plays and Educate.Today has an extensive library of videos related to history, from the Civil War, to pioneers of westward expansion, to the civil rights marches and Martin Luther King Jr. We also have an extensive list involving the theatre. Let them explore our library and come up with play ideas. They can use the information in the videos to write, produce and perform their own play, including costumes. If a play seems a bit overwhelming, try a short puppet show instead. It inspires the same creativity, but cuts back on time, supplies and number of people.

Arts and Crafts are also popular activities for kids on break, but if you are looking for a bit more creativity, we have a wonderful selection of videos under arts and crafts and visual arts. Spice things up a bit by trying unusual art as highlighted in our videos “Visual Arts 1” and “Visual Arts 2”. You can add an environmental twist by using recyclable materials.

Older kids might enjoy our “Science Behind” programs like “The Science Behind Bowling”. They can pick up a few tips to improve their game, and then put their learning into action at a local bowling alley. Although most amusement parks are closed during winter, students can still have fun with our “Science Behind Roller Coasters” video, and maybe plan a spring break trip to experience physics in action.

As break ends and we transition back to school, keep Educate.Today in mind for school days and snow days at home. We also have some exciting new programs scheduled for the new year so keep an eye out for our upcoming Live! programs in 2019. The arts will take center stage in January with our featured Live! program highlighting the arts in both St. Louis and across the nation. We will continue our focus in the months of February and March with topics including culture and art around the world and women in history. A “don’t-miss” for Spring includes April’s program for Earth Day. As preparation, students can come up with ways that they can help clean up our Earth. May finishes off the spring with a show about public service. If you want to learn more about jobs for emergency workers, this is the show for you!

As you look for ideas to keep kids busy and productive this season, consider all of the exciting programs Educate.Today has to offer, and please join us in the new year, to help us launch this wonderful new site. Happy Holidays!